LGBTQI charity GiveOut given official status as it fights against violence globally
STONEWALL NATIONAL MONUMENT, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – 2017/10/11: The dedication ceremony of the LGBTQ Rainbow Freedom Flag at The Stonewall National Monument was held on october 11, 2017; marking the first time the LGBTQ Rainbow Flag will be displayed permanently in New York City. Activists cited bureaucratic homophobia under the Trump administration after the National Park Service suddenly withdrew their sponsorship to the event. (Photo by Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
New London based LGBTQI charity GiveOut has been given official charity status.
GiveOut aims to create a global environment where members of the LGBTQI community are safe from discrimination and violence.
GiveOut’s logo is simple however accurately represents their message of global acceptance for the LGBTQI community (photo provided by GiveOut)
Speaking to PinkNews, the Executive Director of GiveOut Rupert Abbott, said: “Our mission is to provide resources – rather than strategies – to activists and their organisations, creating a new and sustainable source of funding for the global LGBTQI movement.”
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GiveOut aims to eliminate these gaps and distribute funds evenly across the world in the fight against discrimination and homophobia.
The organisation hopes to achieve its goals by allowing donors the opportunity to give to a range of global causes through just one platform.
GiveOut is aiming to eliminate the violence in countries where the LGBTQI community is not accepted (Photo credit should read CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN/AFP/Getty Images)
The journey to gaining official charity status was not an easy one. It has taken two years, starting with a dedicated team of volunteers. The team worked with donors, activists, and existing charities on what they wanted GiveOut to achieve, before developing a plan to launch the charity.
During the six months they had to wait to register GiveOut as an official charity they appointed Rupert Abbott as their Executive Director.
Abbott is a trained lawyer and has worked in the human rights field for over a decade. He co-founded the human rights experts’ hub RightStart and has been a manager with the Human Rights House Foundation, Amnesty International, and the United Nations.
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GiveOut hope that by letting donors give money on one platform they can evenly distribute the donations to where they need to go (Photo by Raajessh Kashyap/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Speaking of his role at GiveOut Abbot has said: “I am honoured to build and lead this new organisation and excited about the potential to bring more funds into the LGBTQI movement.”
Elliot Vaughn chairing a panel on business and LGBTI rights at OutSummit in New York, Dec 2017 (Image provided by GiveOut)
Now that GiveOut is an official charity it is keen to start raising awareness and money for excellent LGBTQI causes.
Elliot Vaughn, GiveOut’s founder and the Chair of its Board of Trustees, said: “Our immediate priorities are to continue building our Board of Trustees, launch a website for donations, and identify those activists and organisations who need support.”
A launch event will be happening later in the year, however, there is no confirmed date as the main priority right now lies with ensuring that donors get as much support as possible and that the money raised is distributed correctly.
For anyone who would like to stay up to date with the work GiveOut are doing, they can sign up for updates via their website and follow them on their social media.
